CUIB Wins $2,000 from 2021 Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge.
The Catholic University Institute of Buea, the Growth Mindset Entrepreneurial University has won 2,000 US Dollars after two teams from the Institution succeeded in reaching the finals of the Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge organized by St Thomas University in the United States of America. The two teams from CUIB, GO ORGANIC and UTOPIA presented unique projects which were in line with the United Nations sustainable development goals in which the students came out with sustainable projects that could better the lives of Cameroonians and the world as a whole.
The competition had about 25 universities across the world that took part in the Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge, with CUIB being the lone University in Cameroon to participate in such a great competition. The candidates were competing over 61,500 US Dollars to be shared amongst the top ten universities based on their individual and group presentation of innovative ideas.
Team CUIB from the Buea Campus under the name GO ORGANIC, presented a project which is aimed at impacting, influencing and sustaining communities through the rearing of Rabbits. This is due to the fact that the animals can be used as food and at the same time its urine, and fur used in making organic fertilizers.
Team GO ORGANIC presented their sample of the organic fertilizer made with urine and rabbits fur of which the judges described as “an amazing project” coming from CUIB as the team also demonstrated the health benefits of rabbit’s meat which they say has a great impact on the health of humans, replacing red meat with high cholesterol levels.
During the finals, the team from CUIB Buea campus was ranked amongst the top ten teams which made them win 1,000 US Dollars alongside some other accompanied prizes which will be handed by the organizers of the Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge.
Team UTOPIA of the Douala Campus, based their project on tackling poverty, health problems and pollution by making environmentally friendly and bio-based products using Sugar cane Waste to produce paper which could be used in packaging foodstuffs and other commodities.
Their sample also won the hearts of the judges who appreciated the innovation coming from Africa in which they said such an innovation will help reduce global warming since a good number of trees will not be cut down just to produce papers.
Team UTOPIA however, won 500$ amongst the runner up teams and also won an additional 500$ for the Instagram team challenge, making 1,000$ alongside other prizes. The competition gave the students a unique opportunity for them to share their ideas with the over 25 universities across the globe that took part in this prestigious international competition .CUIB students have demonstrated to the world that papers can be produced from Sugar cane waste and that organic fertilizers can be produced using rabbit urine and fur.
